Just a Start
by Dakota-Jones
Summary: A fictionalized theory on how John first met Chas, and how over time their relationship became what it is in the movie. Involves plenty of action, a spicing of humor, and cameos by many movie characters!
1. Exorcisms

AN: This idea has been poking at my brain ever since I first saw the movie Constantine. And no, I haven't read the comic books it's based on, so don't hack on me for accuracy.

This is my interpretation of how Chas and John first met, based about a year and a half before the movie.

"I need you down at the apartments by the old glass warehouse, John. Somethin' really interesting."

John heard the crisp nervousness in Father Hennessy's tone, and he took a long drag off his cigarette, slowly exhaling. "What makes it so different?"

"Well…I don't know, it just _feels_ different. And I trust my instinct on those, John, you know it. Just meet me down here, wouldya?"

John heard a woman's voice yelling in the background, but it wasn't quite the words he'd expected; he'd expected words of concern, or fear, but instead the woman was yelling about 'shutting the boy up before she busted a bottle over his head'.

"I'll be right there, Father."

He hailed a cab as quickly as he could, since he hadn't ever been able to afford a car; doing exorcisms wasn't exactly bringing in a truckload of money. He lit up another cigarette in the already foul smelling cab, while the driver just glanced at him as if he were some type of freak.

Hell, he _was_ some type of freak. Even he knew that.

He arrived at the apartment, and Father Hennessy was standing outside the door, and he visibly brightened when he saw John.

"John, thank God…"

"Don't thank him. I took a cab, not a heavenly cloud."

"Well, whoever I thank, I'm glad you're here. The kids mother is about to shoot him herself."

"She's not worried?" John asked, taking another drag off his cigarette as he followed Hennessy up the stairs.

"No, she thinks he's faking it for attention."

"Is he?"

Father Hennessy looked back at John with what was almost a hurt impression. "You think I'd fall for it if he was?"

"Maybe."

The door to the apartment was open, but it smelled much the same inside as it had in the hallway; in other words, utterly rancid. He scowled and put out his cigarette in the nearest ashtray as a woman came out of the back room, taking a swig of whiskey straight from the bottle even as she walked.

"Are you the guy who can shut him up? He's been makin' that goddamn noise for the past six hours, I about beat him senseless tryin' to shut him up," she said angrily, waving the bottle around in wild gestures, her brown matted hair falling out of her loose ponytail.

_Great. Not just a demon, but a tied up, beaten up, pissed off demon,_ John thought, silently moving past the woman to the room which the growling, thrashing, and snarling sounds were coming from.

He pushed the door open, and shook his head at the sight. The boy looked to be about 16, and his ankles and wrists were tied tightly to the bed, so tightly that his wrists and ankles had rubbed raw against the restraints. His brown, thick, curly hair was wil and unkempt, and his body was covered with a sheen of sweat. He wore only flannel pajama pants and a tank top.

John walked to the bedside and looked down into the youth's wild eyes, and Father Hennessy entered the room behind him, watching on eagerly.

"I couldn't cast it out myself, John, and I-"

"The only reason you called me was because you couldn't handle that bitch in the kitchen."

"Well, that's a part of it, but-"

John didn't wait for him to finish. He stood up on the bed, straddling the boy as he kneeled down. The demon hissed viciously as John lowered his face, so close he could feel the boy's harsh, short breaths on his lips and cheek.

"My name's Constantine…John Constantine, asshole," John hissed, and the demon simply snarled and struggled on his restraints even more.

"Make yourself useful, Father. Open the curtains," John said, and Hennessy quickly moved to do as he was told. The demon thrashed and snarled all the more as light entered the originally dark room, and John quickly deduced what kind of demon he was dealing with.

He pulled out a small iron cross on a necklace, yanking it off the chain and smirking cruelly at the demon.

"Go to hell," he said, meaning it quite literally as he pressed the cross to the boy's forehead. The cross sizzled as if heated in a fire and the demon let out a shriek of agony, the boy's body convulsing with the pain and efforts of the demon to hold onto its young charge.

"_Exorcizo te, omnis spiritus immunde, in nomine Dei Patris omnipotentis, et in noimine Jesu Christi Filii ejus, Domini et Judicis nostri, et in virtute Spiritus Sancti_," John said loudly as the demon writhed and screamed beneath him, thrashing and struggling with each breath. He made the sign of the cross, said a few final words in Latin, and with a sudden shriek and arch of his back, the boy went limp beneath him. His skin became clear again, a tanned and flawless color that almost made him look...angelic.

The boy's eyes suddenly snapped open and he gasped as if coming up from underwater, and his eyes widened in a frightened panic as he realized that there was a man kneeling over him- not to mention, he was tied down to his bed.

"What…what the…" he managed before his eyes rolled back and he fell into unconsciousness again.

"I'm not surprised. She let him fight that demon for five hours like this before she called the church," Father Hennessy said, shaking his head. As John climbed off the bed, the enraged mother appeared in the doorway, her expression wild.

"I want that _thing_ out of my house," she said firmly, gesturing to the limp form on the bed.

"Ma'am, he won't have any more trouble. We-"

"I don't fucking care, okay! I never wanted him in the first place, but his bastard father had to go and blow his brains out, and now _I _get saddled with the little freak!" The lady screamed, looking back and forth between Hennessy and John. "I'm goin' out. When I get back, if he's still here I'm just gonna shoot him, you hear me?" She continued before slamming down the glass and storming out. A few moments later they heard the front door slam shut.

Father Hennessy and John stared at each other helplessly for a few moments before Hennessy moved forward to begin untying the boy from the bed.

"John…you know I can't-"

"No."

"But he's not-"

"No."

"I can't-"

"_No._"

Hennessy looked up at John, who simply lit up another cigarette. He finished

untying one hand and inspected the raw and bleeding wrist even as he spoke.

"Just for a couple days, John. Just until I can find another relative of his to take

him," Hennessy pleaded, moving on to freeing the boy's other wrist. "Come on, you know I never ask you favors unless they're very important. Would you rather have all your hard work go to waste the next time that lady loses her temper?"

"I don't think she'd do it."

"Wanna take that chance?"

John exhaled a stream of smoke into the air, and then did what he'd been avoiding doing for the past few minutes; he looked at the boy laying exhausted on the bed. The boy was breathing more steadily now, his skin still glowing and his hair tousled. He definitely wasn't over 17, he decided.

He looked so innocent, so child-like laying there, and yet he'd just been through something most adults could never claim to have experienced.

"Only for a couple of days, Father, and after that I swear I'll kick him out on his ass," John finally said, looking back down at the floor and flicking ashes off his cigarette.

Father Hennessy positively beamed as he pulled the bonds off the boy's ankles. "You're a saint, John, a regular saint."

John just gave him a look, and Father Hennessy shrugged.

"Okay, maybe not. But still…"

"What's his name?" John asked, gesturing with his cigarette.

"Huh?"

"The kid. What's his name?"

"Chas. Chas Kramer."

AN: Eh, I didn't expect this to be over one chapter, but hey look! It is. It'll probably have two or three chapters, unless I go insane and make it a series. Review, please!


	2. Chocolate Pentagrams

AN: Sorry about the length between updates, but this is spring break for me, and I'm in California! They'll come quicker after this week, I swear.

Thanks for the reviews! I was afraid since it wasn't categorized and all it wouldn't get that many, but you guys are awesome.

This chapter is a bit slow and short, but I promise you there'll be action and length in the next chapter. Oh, yes, there will be action indeed...

* * *

"So...what am I supposed to do with it?"

Hennessy sighed, glancing from the unconscious boy in the backseat to the slightly peeved man in the passenger's seat.

"He's not an 'it', John. And you just need to take care of him, keep him well fed and out of trouble while he recovers and I find him a place to stay. A couple of days, at the most."

"I highly doubt that he's going to want to stay very long. You've seen where I live."

"Then just let him stay as long as he needs to. He'll be very weak from this exorcism, he'll need your help," Hennessy said, exasperated. He pulled up in front of Johns building and stopped gently, and John just sat there for a moment, shaking his head.

"I can't believe you talked me into this," John said, tossing his spent cigarette out the window and stepping out. Father Hennessy just smiled.

"You'll be fine, John. He's just a kid. It's not the end of the world."

John just laughed bitterly, opening up the back door of the car and pulling the limp boy out into his arms. He was shocked at how light Chas was; the boy was much too underweight for his age.

He turned around and headed inside as Hennessy pulled away, trying to be as gentle as he could as he pulled out his keys and unlocked the door.

"I hope you know what you're getting into," he mumbled to Chas, who was still sleeping soundly in his arms. John nudged open the door, slipped inside, and then pushed it closed with his foot.

He stood there for a moment, a little bit at a loss with this new complication, but then he carried Chas to his bedroom and gently laid him down on the bed.

"You, uh...stay there," he ordered, and then he went and got a glass of water, a wet washcloth, and a blanket. He laid the blanket over the sleeping boy, set the glass of water on the bedside table and laid the cool, damp rag on his forehead.

He just looked at Chas for a few moments; the innocent looking teen looked so out of place in the dim light of his home.

John sighed and pulled up a chair near the bed, lighting up a cigarette. He could hear the sounds of the bowling alley below him; the bowling ball hitting the pins, the occasional loud cheers, and the sounds of traffic and honking cars outside. LA traffic. He'd always hated LA traffic, despite the fact that he'd never really driven in it that much.

But if he listened just hard enough, he could hear Chas's gentle, deep breathing from the bed.

"I'll bet you thought your life couldn't get worse...and now you're stuck with me," John said quietly, even though he knew the boy couldn't hear him. He settled back in the chair with a sigh, taking a long drag off his cigarette and staring out the window.

It was only a few minutes more before John heard a weak whimper from the bed, and Chas began to stir. John removed the washcloth from his forehead and waited patiently as the boy slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times.

"Where the hell am I?" He asked, his voice hoarse from the demon using it so roughly. At first John was at a loss for words; what was he supposed to tell the kid, that his mom wanted to kill him so the exorcist took him home?

"You're...um...well..."

Chas raised an eyebrow, slowly attempting to edge away from John. "Look, I don't have any money, okay? So don't bother lookin'..."

"I'm not-"

"I'll scream rape!"

John rolled his eyes and decided to get this overwith as quickly and painlessly as possible. "Look, kid, you were possessed by a demon, I exorcised it, and your mom kicked you out. I brought you back here instead of dropping you in the nearest alley, so be thankful."

Chas stared at him for a moment, his hazel eyes wide with shock. "I thought it was just a nightmare..."

John almost laughed, setting his cigarette down in the ashtray. "Far from it, believe me."

Chas tried to push himself up to a sitting position, but the nausea and the headache (as well as John's hand) pushed him back to the bed.

"Relax, kid...you're gonna feel like hell for a while, so just stay put. If you need anything, ask me," John said, surprised at the sympathy leaving his lips.

"Actually, I am pretty hungry...what do you exorcists eat, anyway?"

"What do you think we eat, chocolate pentagrams?"

Both Chas and John stared at the other, and then both of them smirked. Finally, a match to the wit that littered their vocabulary.

"A sandwich would be great, Mr...uh...what's your name, anyway?"

"Constantine. John Constantine."

"Right. John."

"Call me Constantine."

"Too many syllables. I'm callin' you John."

* * *

AN: Next chapter, the fun REALLY starts. Review please! 


	3. Taking Chances

AN: Weeeee, third chapter!

* * *

"So you're basically a demon hunter?"

"You could put it that way."

"So if you see the big shots runnin' around, then why are you doing random exorcisms?"

"Gotta make money somehow."

"...I know my mother didn't pay you for that."

"What is this, twenty questions?"

"I'm just curious."

"You've been curious for the past hour and a half."

Chas and John stared at each other over the table for a few moments, where Chas had stacked dozens of books and had been leafing through them while John was out for the day. After John hadn't allowed him to go to work because of how weak he was, the bookshelf had been basically his only entertainment for the day.

"I told you not to go poking around..." John muttered, looking back down at his glass of whiskey.

"No, you told me not to poke around in your _cabinets_. These were on an open shelf. That made them fair game."

"Look, kid, you don't want to start getting involved in this shit."

"Yes I do. And stop callin' me kid. I'm 16, that's not 'kid' age."

John just stared at him for a moment, and then he shook his head and took a drag off his cigarette. "As soon as you're recovered, you're out of here."

"Can I come to an exorcism?"

"No."

"Come on, John, just one?"

"No. It's too dangerous."

"I can handle it if you tell me what to expect!"

"No, you can't."

Chas frowned. "How would you know what I can and can't handle, huh?"

John put out his finished cigarette, and then stood up. "Look, _kid_...you're too young, and outside of what you read in those books you don't have two brain cells to rub together to figure out how to handle what I handle every damn day. You'd crumble at your first sight of a warrior demon, let alone a half breed or a worse concoction of hell. Not everything's like it says in those books, and no matter how much you read, you could never handle the real thing. So give it up."

As Chas sat there with a bit of a dumbfounded expression on his face, John drank the last of the whiskey in his glass and the phone rang. He gave Chas a glare and went to pick up the phone, muttering a guttural "Hello?" He didn't notice when Chas stood up and made his way to the bedroom, quietly picking up the other phone and listening in.

"John, we've got big trouble down at the downtown gym. We've got a possessed man, just walked in and started going into fits."

"He walked into the _gym_? Father, are you sure it's a possession?"

"Absolutely positive. I got a couple guys to stay and help restrain him, but this demon...I can't pull it out. It's too strong."

"I'll be right there, just keep him there, okay?"

"Will do."

John hung up, and quickly gathered his coat and his bag, "Chas, I'll be back later, alright? Just stay out of my stuff," he called out.

"Yeah, yeah."

John left the apartment without a single look back, and in the bedroom, Chas hung up the phone as well and grabbed his coat and hat. No way was he being left behind, not after getting the 'you're too young for this' speech. He was going to prove John wrong, no matter what it took.

By the time John reached the gym the manager in charge had already locked the doors, and he was there to briefly unlock them to let John in. Father Hennessy was waiting at the top of the stairs, and he quickly led John down.

"He's by the pool," he said, already slightly out of breath. "We've got three guys on him and he's still holding strong."

Neither man noticed the boy following, whom the manager had let in on the premise that he had something that John had forgotten. Chas made sure to keep a good distance; he didn't want to be noticed until John was hard at work and wouldn't have time to kick him out.

The man was most certainly possessed. As John approached him he snarled and fought even more, his limbs twisting at unnatural, disgusting angles. His skin was an ashy, gray color, the veins sticking out and his teeth bared with fury. The three men were struggling to hold him down.

John stood with one foot on either side of the man's chest, and he was pulling out his cross when Chas entered the room.

"_God_, he's ugly!" Chas immediately said, and John looked up in shock and fury.

"Chas, what the hell are you doing here? I told you to stay put!" John said, and Chas shrugged and moved closer.

"I'm an idiot kid, remember? Obviously not smart enough to listen to what you say," he shot back angrily.

"Chas, stay ba-"

John didn't get a chance to finish the warning; the demon broke free from its captors, and grabbed John by the leg, yanking him off his feet. Hennessy stepped forward to help, but by that time the demon was already on his feet, and it knocked him back with one swing of his arm.

"Not so tough, exorcist," the demon growled out as it grabbed John by the collar of his shirt. For a moment, everyone was at a loss at to what to do.

That is, except for Chas.

Chas took a running start and tackled the demon, and both Chas and the demon tumbled into the pool. Chas struggled to get the upper hand, but soon he found himself being held under the water, the demon's hand locked around his throat. He kicked and fought, but he was no match for the hellish fury of the demon he was up against.

At that moment, John felt a wave of panicky fear; it surprised him, especially concerning an annoying boy who'd thus far only made things worse. He felt his chest tighten and his fists clench with fury as the demon began to try and drown Chas, and he did the first and only thing he could think of- he dove into the water and pulled the demon away from Chas, who was weakening with each second.

With the help of the three men and Hennessy, they dragged the creature out of the pool, and they managed to hold him down and exorcise the demon in a matter of minutes. When they were done Chas was hanging on the edge of the pool with one arm, gasping for air and rubbing his throat with his free hand.

Hennessy began to take care of the newly freed man, and John turned to Chas. Their eyes met, and Chas cringed.

"We're going home. And you...you and I are going to have one hell of a long talk," John practically growled, grabbing Chas roughly by the wrist and yanking him up out of the water.

* * *

AN: Ah, yesh, next chapter shall be fun. 


	4. Just a Talk

AN: Chapter four, right here, ladies and gentlemen. I am on a roll and liking this story. More feedback would be nice though!

"What the hell were you thinking! You could've been _killed_, Chas!"

"But I wasn't..."

"You came pretty damn close!"

"You know, if you weren't such an asshole in the first place, this never would've happened!"

"If you weren't such a naïve, annoying, self centered brat then you would've been here and _safe_!"

"You don't care if I'm safe! You didn't even want me here in the first place!" Chas shot back. "You're just as bad as my deadbeat parents. You only helped me to impress your Catholic friends. You don't care, you never did and you never will!"

John sneered at him. "If you're just now figuring that out, then you're stupider than I thought."

Chas just stared at John for a moment, his fists clenched and his hazel eyes dark with anger. Then he grabbed his backpack off the table and his jacket off the back of the chair and said, "Fine. You coulda said that three days ago and I would've been gone. It's not like I'm not used to being hated and kicked out. Fuck this."

The boy walked out the door and slammed it behind him, and John dropped down into a chair, burying his face in his hands. He didn't get it. He should've been relieved that the boy was gone; now the kid wouldn't bother him about always wanting to go along, always asking questions despite the smart ass answers he got, always curious to know more, up reading until midnight and sharing the information like an eager pupil...

God, he missed the kid already.

He picked up the phone and dialed Hennessy's number, sighing with relief when Father's tired voice came over the line.

"Father...I need some help."

"John?" A pause. "It's almost midnight, what's wrong?"

"Well, I tried to talk to Chas..."

An exasperated sigh. "What did you say to him?"

"Words were flying both ways, you know. This wasn't _completely_ my fault."

"Where is he?"

"Now see, that's the thing...I don't really know."

Another pause, longer this time. "You let a sixteen year old kid run out into downtown LA in the middle of the night?"

"What was I supposed to do, Father, tie him to the table?" John snapped in reply.

"Don't argue with me, John, not right now. We have to go find him."

"Tonight?"

"Yes, tonight! God only knows what kind of trouble that boy could get into! And have you even looked outside? It's pouring rain!"

John sighed, glancing out the window. Hennessy was right; rain was coming down in sheets, already running off the canopy of the building across the street like a waterfall.

"Alright, alright. He couldn't have gone far, he left five minutes ago."

"I'll pick you up, alright?"

"Don't bother. I'll take an umbrella and find him myself."

"But John-"

"Goodbye Father," John said, hanging up the phone and grabbing his coat. He knew what he needed to do; find Chas, drag him back here, apologize, all that jazz that normal people did. All that stuff that _parents_ did.

That thought scared him senseless. The last thing he wanted to do was consider this boy to be that much of an issue.

_Just find the kid, and make sure he's okay. Like Hennessy said, he'll be gone in a couple of days, out of your life anyway, _John thought, leaving his apartment and trying to figure out where the kid might've gone in weather like this.

He eventually decided to head north. Maybe Chas had gone to the highway, where he could hitchhike somewhere else. Hell, maybe he went to the homeless shelter near here. There was no way John could know for sure either way.

He aimlessly headed north, pulling his jacket tight around himself and smoking a cigarette, concern plaguing him despite his conscious insistence that Chas meant nothing to him. He was just doing this as a favor for Hennessy, nothing more.

He was just about to give up when he noticed the huddled figure underneath the overpass. At first he thought it might be just another homeless person or a drunk, but as he got closer he noticed the white and black cabbie hat, and the green worn-out jacket.

Chas was sitting with his arms wrapped around his legs, his knees pulled close to his chest and his head down. He was shivering horribly, water soaking his clothing and dripping off the soaked ends of his curly hair.

"Chas?" John asked gently as he approached the boy, and Chas jumped in surprise, his startled expression immediately turning to one of anger.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I was looking for you."

Chas seemed surprised for a moment, but then he turned away again. "Congratulations, you found me. Now beat it."

"Look, kid..." John started, only getting a harsher glare at the use of the word 'kid'. "Chas...come on back to the apartment and warm up. You've got no place to go, and you can't stay out here."

"Doin' another self serving favor to look good, right?"

John let his gaze drop to the ground, as well as his cigarette. "You know I didn't mean that."

Chas smirked and shook his head. "You and I both know that you _did _mean it."

John groaned with frustration, hesitating a moment before an idea sparked in his mind.

"You're coming back to that apartment, one way or another."

"You can't make me."

"Want to bet on that?"

Before Chas could move an inch John grabbed him, lifting him up and slinging him over his shoulder. Chas let out a yelp of surprise and struggled to free himself as John simply leaned over and grabbed the boy's backpack, and then started walking back toward the apartment.

"Put me down! John, come on, this isn't funny! I swear, I'll yell rape!"

"Nobody's gonna listen, kid. This is LA."

"But-"

"Just shut up already."

"You can't-"

"Yes I can."

"_John_! Put me _down_!"

"No."

AN: Hehehehe, and yes, there's more. Geez, three chapters in one day...I need a life. Well, the next update probably won't be for another day or so, tomorrow if y'all are lucky. That is, if anyone's even reading this. Review, tell me I'm not doin' this just for my own amusement...cause that would be damn pitiful.


	5. Catching Attention

AN: Awww, my reviewers are so sweet! Just for that, here's the fifth chapter. You guys (and gals) are wonderful.

By the way, don't waste any money on the comic version of the movie Constantine- not Hellblazer, but the official movie comic. It's not worth the 8 bucks you pay for it. Just a word of warning, it really sucks. And they change a lot.

Oh, and in answer to a reviewer...Chas's name in the Hellblazer comics is Chas Chandler. For the movie, they changed it to Chas Kramer. But if you look in the official movie comic, it suddenly becomes Chaz Kramer. Don't ask me why; I don't even think the director knows what the kid's name is.

* * *

John only put Chas down when they were safely inside the apartment, and then he dropped the boy down beside the kitchen table and dropped the boy's backpack on the table.

"No more of this running away shit, okay?" He asked, a bit out of breath as he took off his jacket and draped it over the back of the chair.

"Sorry. Didn't exactly expect you to come runnin' after me."

There was an awkward silence as John lit up another cigarette, and he looked up at Chas again with a smirk.

"Go change. Those clothes are soaked."

"Oh, so now you're worried about me catching cold?"

"No, I just don't want you dripping water all over my apartment. Go change."

Chas groaned and stormed into the other room, and John just snickered. The kid was amusing, at the very least, but he was sore as hell from carrying the struggling boy all the way back here.

He had to talk to the kid, for real. The idea was nauseating to him, but if he didn't talk to Chas and straighten this out, the kid would just run off again the second he turned his back. And the next time, he might not be so lucky in finding him.

And that wouldn't make Father Hennessy very happy at all; he was depending on John to look after his young charge.

John stepped into the bedroom right as Chas was pulling on a shirt, and he frowned at the sight of multiple scars on the boy's back.

"Chas, we need to have a talk," he said, and Chas jumped in surprise.

"You sound like my dad, you know."

John rolled his eyes as Chas sat down on the edge of the bed, wringing out his hat.

"That was a lame fuckin' stunt you pulled, runnin' off like that."

"Well, I couldn't stay _here_."

"Why the hell not?" John asked, and Chas shot him an incredulous look. John shook his head, and then said, "Alright...yes, I'm doing this as a favor to Father Hennessy. I'm not going to lie about that. But do you honestly think I would've let your annoying ass stay here if it was just about that?"

Chas snorted. "So what else is it? Pity?"

"Kid, I've been through too much to pity _you_."

"Right. So what is it then? If it's not for pity, and not to impress your friend, then I'm not seein' what else it could be, John. You're not the hospitable type. You're an-"

"An asshole. I know."

Both fell silent for a few moments, and then John just shook his head and started to leave the room, quickly saying, "I'm going to make some coffee."

"Oh, sure. Just avoid the question," Chas spat bitterly, and John felt his anger rising again. He pushed down the urge to just grab the boy and shake him; that definitely wouldn't solve anything.

"Look, kid, I-"

He was interrupted by the phone ringing, and he sighed, moving to pick up the phone. Chas watched for a moment, shook his head, and then left the room and muttered something about putting on the coffee himself.

"Hello?"

"John Constantine...how's the life of a mortal these days?"

John bristled with hatred at the familiar voice on the other end of the line. "What the hell do you want, Gabriel?"

"I can't simply call to chat anymore?"

"Stop fuckin' around and tell me what you want."

Gabriel laughed. "Well, meet me at the church and we'll have our chat in person."

"It's two in the morning, Gabriel, and I have other things to deal with. Can't it wait?"

"No, not really. Be at the church in 20 minutes. And bring that charming apprentice of yours."

"Apprentice? You mean Chas? He's not-"

"Bring him. 20 minutes."

Gabriel hung up, and John slammed the phone down angrily. He hated half breeds, and he hated it even more when they fucked with him like this. And somehow, the fact that she knew about Chas bothered him even more than the fact that she'd called at this ungodly hour of the morning.

He went to grab his still soaking wet coat off the hanger by the door, fully intending upon leaving Chas behind. He didn't want to lead the boy right to Gabriel- who knew what the half-breed had planned for the human teenager?

"Where are you going?" Chas asked, catching sight of John as he opened the door.

"Out."

"To the church?"

John shut the door and looked back at Chas, who wore a simple smirk. "You little brat. You were on the other line, weren't you?"

"Who was she? And why does she want to see me?" Chas asked, ignoring the accusation.

"That was a 'he', for your information. Well, kind of."

"Kind of? It sounded like a chick. And isn't Gabriel a girl's name?"

"Look, it's hard to explain. And no, you're not coming."

"Isn't he gonna be pretty pissed if I'm not there?"

"Doesn't matter. You're not coming."

Something seemed to click in Chas's expression, and he tilted his head. "Wait a second...Gabriel? A guy named Gabriel...is this going where I think it is?"

"Chas, don't start-"

"Gabriel the arch angel?"

John sighed and walked out, closing the door behind him and starting to walk. It wasn't two seconds before the door opened and closed again, and Chas was walking beside him.

"Gabriel calls you at home? Gabriel _uses_ a phone? Can't he just use a heavenly voice thing?"

"Fuck off, kid."

"Why does Gabriel want to see _me_?"

John stopped and grabbed Chas by the shoulders, looking the boy straight in the eye. "If you must know, Gabriel is a half breed, and a conniving little bitch at that. He's bad news, and I don't want to get you involved with anything to do with that fucker."

"A half breed? I read about those today..."

John groaned and started walking again; he honestly didn't know how parents handled it. This kid was impossible! One second he was trying his hardest to run away, and the next second he couldn't be gotten rid of!

"You're waiting outside when we get there," John finally muttered.

"In the rain?"

"You shouldn't have come in the first place, and you're sure as hell not going in that church. You're waiting outside."

* * *

AN: I know, yet another slow chapter. Next chapter will have action, I promise. And tell me if I get too OOC... 


	6. A HalfBreed's Foreshadowing

AN: Mmm, I have no life outside writing. So here's chapter 6.

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When they reached the church, the door was already standing open, and a very smug looking Gabriel stood in the doorway.

"Hello John. You're two minutes late. It's not like you to be tardy."

"I'm sure those two minutes aren't going to bother you one bit in the long run," John said, stepping inside before turning back to Chas and saying, "Wait here, kid."

Gabriel gave John a disappointed yet amused look, and then turned to Chas. "Come on inside, love...come in out of the rain. You'll catch your death of cold out here."

Chas hesitated, looking back and forth between John and Gabriel. But seeing as how John had already gone inside and wasn't even paying attention, he took off his hat and stepped into the dark church.

"You're taking a risk with the balance, Gabriel...after all, he's human," John said with a smirk, and Gabriel led the way up to the front.

"Oh, I don't know about that, John...he got himself into this willingly, so I see no harm in entertaining his curiosities," Gabriel said, stopping in front of the lit fireplace.

"He shouldn't even be here," John said, glancing at Chas, who had for once fallen silent. Maybe the presence of an arch angel actually kicked some sense into his normally runaway mouth.

"So where are your wings, anyway?"

Or maybe not.

Gabriel didn't seem to mind the blunt question; he simply chuckled and smiled fondly at Chas. "He's quite the curious one, isn't he?"

John shot Chas a glare before turning back to Gabriel. "You have no idea. Can we get on with this?"

"I think it's good for you, John, having him around."

"Gabriel, I'm not in the mood for your games. What the hell did you drag me out here for?"

Gabriel's expression didn't change. "I wanted to warn you, John...things are about to get rough."

"Rough in what way?"

"More possessions, more half breeds to deport...you know, the normal type of 'rough'."

"Why?" Chas suddenly broke in, and John shoved him down into the chair with a sharp, "Shut up." Gabriel simply laughed.

"Don't be so rough with the boy, John...he's just curious, after all."

"He's too curious for his own damn good," John mumbled before quickly shifting back to the original subject. "Do I get any other explanation for this, or are you going to be cryptic, as usual?"

"Cryptic, John. It wouldn't be any fun for you if I told you everything from the start."

"Why are you even telling me this much? What kind of stake do you have in this, half breed?"

Gabriel wasn't paying attention. He'd moved over behind the chair Chas was sitting in, and he laid a hand on the boy's shoulder, smiling. It was a fake smile, but that was most often what John got from Gabriel anyway.

"It's a shame," Gabriel said softly, and John's eyes narrowed.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Gabriel met John's gaze, his eyes lighting up a bit. "The first time you've made a friend in many years, John, and by the time you decide to notice it will be too late."

John stepped forward, his expression one of anger now. Chas simply sat between the two, motionless and understandably confused and nervous.

"That better not have been a threat," John practically growled.

"Simply a neutral observation," Gabriel said, unphased by John's fury and not moving his hand from Chas's shoulder. "Keep an eye on him, John. After all...he is your responsibility for now."

Gabriel turned to walk away, and John watched him go silently. If Chas hadn't been there he would've drilled the angel for more information, but he didn't want any other sensitive info spilling in the boy's presence.

"John, what was he talkin' about?" Chas asked, standing up and rubbing his shoulder.

"Nothin', kid. He's just trying to scare you," John said quietly, though he wasn't quite so sure.

Chas raised an eyebrow. "Why the hell would an angel need to scare me?"

"Because I'm obviously not doing a good enough job of convincing you how dangerous this is."

"I know how dangerous it is. But if you'd just teach me, I could-"

"No."

"Maybe I could just watch so-"

"_No_."

"I can handle this, John, I swear! I've been reading the books, and I-"

John started to light up a cigarette and walk away, and Chas took off to catch up with him. "John, would you listen to me for once? I don't think you've listened to a word I've said since I met you!"

"I'm sorry, what was that? I wasn't listening."

"That's not funny, bastard."

John's cell phone rang, and he gave Chas a 'look' before answering it.

"Hello?"

Father Hennessy's voice came over the other end. "John...there's another one."

_And just my luck...I have the kid tagging along, _John thought with a sigh.

"Where?"

"The apartments on fifth. You know, those lousy brick tenements."

"Right. I'll be there in a couple minutes."

Chas's eyes lit up. "Can I come?"

John sighed heavily. "You're gonna have to come...but you're definitely waiting outside this time."

* * *

AN: Next chapter...is a surprise. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA. 


	7. Don't Blame Me

AN: glomps all the reviewers Off we go, chapter 7!

* * *

"Under no circumstances are you to come inside, you hear me?" John said sternly, taking a drag off his cigarette.

"Aw, it can't hurt if I just watch..."

"Yes, it can. You're waiting outside."

"But-"

"Chas, _no_."

Chas pouted a bit, but didn't argue on the subject anymore. And once they got to the building, John shoved him down to a sitting position on the outside steps.

"Stay right there," he ordered, leaving the boy there and walking inside without another word. Father Hennessy was waiting inside, and he quickly led John upstairs to the apartment.

"It's weird, John. This isn't a normal possession," Hennessy said, his voice strained. John didn't show any reaction to the man's obvious worry.

He walked in the room, and the woman was lying on the bed, her body twitching and shaking...but Hennessy was right, something was different. No sounds emitted from the woman's open mouth, and her eyes stared upward, hazed over.

"What the hell is this?" John asked Hennessy, and he shrugged.

"She's been like that the whole time. I wouldn't have thought it was a possession if I didn't _feel_ this heavy."

John too had noticed the heavy, dark, evil feel to the room. It was worse than in a normal, out of control possession. He walked to the bed and climbed up on it, kneeling over the woman and looking her right in the eye.

"What's your deal, demon?" He asked harshly, leaning down a bit.

No reaction.

"Come on, show me what you can do," John taunted, hoping to draw it out that way. He didn't want to try and exorcise it before he knew exactly what he was dealing with.

The woman's gaze suddenly became sharper, focusing in on John. Then, a cruel smirk lit up on her face.

"Usted es un hombre estúpido, John Constantine. Usted hará esto demasiado fácil," she hissed at him, and then she suddenly dropped limp.

"What happened?" Hennessy asked as John stared at the woman in confusion.

"The demon...it just exorcised _itself_."

"It _what_!"

John stared for a few more moments, and then he quickly stood up. "Untie her, she's fine. I need to go talk to Gabriel."

"What's going on, John?"

"I'll tell you later," John replied, tearing out the door and down the stairs. He walked out the door, immediately saying, "Come on, Chas, we've got to-"

He stopped in the middle of his sentence and looked around. Chas was nowhere to be found.

"...Chas? Kid?"

_God dammit, he ran off again, _John thought, but then he caught sight of something on the step. Chas's hat. There was no way that kid would go anywhere without his hat.

As he picked up the hat, he caught sight of something else, something that had been hidden by the hat. A long, grayish-white feather.

A feather off a half-breed's wing. Those feathers never fell unintentionally.

John picked up the feather, his breath quickening and his fists tightening in fury. The possession upstairs had been a diversion. And now...now Chas was gone.

And John had the sneaking suspicion that he knew who was behind it.

He took off at a sprint towards the church, the hat and feather clasped in one hand tightly as he ran. The city was still dead, the streets mostly deserted, so he got few weird looks as he made his way back and shoved open the door to the church, which was still unlocked.

"Gabriel! Gabriel, you bastard, show yourself!" He yelled, his voice echoing in the cavernous room. Then he caught sight of the figure standing in front of the fire with his back to him.

"I told you to watch him, John."

John practically snarled as he jogged up to the figure, spinning him around and shoving him up against the wall.

"Where is he? _Where is he, Gabriel?_"

"What makes you think I had anything to do with this?" Gabriel said calmly, giving John a strange half-smile. John held the feather up half an inch from Gabriel's nose, but that didn't change the angel's expression.

"My dear John...I'm not the only half breed roaming the streets of LA tonight."

"But you _are_ the only half breed who threatened him!"

Gabriel laughed quietly. "I warned you, John. It was a warning. And the first thing you do after I so graciously warned you is you go and leave him all alone on a street corner in LA at 3 in the morning. And you're blaming _me_ for the fact that he's gone?"

John felt a pang of guilt. If he'd just let the kid come in and watch, this never would've happened. On that point...he had to admit Gabriel was right. But not out loud he didn't.

"Who took Chas? And what do they want with him? He's just a human! They're _so_ fucking with the balance here..."

"I can't tell you who, John. But don't you worry...they will reveal themselves with time."

John smirked and laughed bitterly. "You're not going to tell me anything, are you?"

Gabriel simply smiled. "You humans are resilient and resourceful, despite your obvious shortcomings. I'm certain you can handle this on your own."

* * *

AN: Bwahahahaha, cliffhangers! Gotta love 'em.

Hmm...John/Chas slash. Interesting thought, might do it someday, but not in this story.


	8. Fish and Chips

AN: Sorry about the gap in updates. I had writer's block…but now that I'm home and have friends to help me figure things out, I'm ready to start again. So…here's chapter 8!

* * *

John had no idea where he could go from this point. Chas was gone, and all he had as a clue to the boy's kidnapper was a feather from a half-breed that smelled strongly of fish.

_Fish…maybe…_He thought, his mind racing. A fish market. The half breed must have an earthly job at a fish market. And since it was almost dawn, the fish market closest to him would be opening soon.

Well…he had to start somewhere.

He changed his direction, tossing down his spent cigarette and lighting up another one as he tucked the feather into his jacket. His other hand still gripped Chas's hat; he knew the boy would want it back when he was found.

The early morning sounds of the fish market were unfamiliar to John; he wasn't a big fan of fish. He wasn't a big fan of food in general, hence the skinny, haggard appearance. The yells and the overpowering smell would've been too much if he weren't so determined to figure out who'd gone to such lengths just to trick him and kidnap Chas.

None of the booths selling fish were open yet. They were still unloading the fish and arranging them in displays, and fish were flying around as if flung on catapults. John was almost afraid he would meet his end in the form of a flying salmon.

_There, _his mind snapped as he suddenly caught sight of a young, dark haired angel arranging a display of iced tilapia. His wings were invisible to the human eye, but spread out like a beacon to John. This had to be the kid; the feather was the right size, and there weren't that many angelic half breeds in this city anyway, let alone more than a couple working in a fish market.

He approached the boy from behind and grabbed him by the shoulder, and the boy spun around, his expression a bit surprised. He couldn't have been over 18, by any means.

"I'm sorry, sir, we're not open yet…" He said, his voice fading a bit as he sensed that he was facing a man who knew just what he was.

John stared him down for a few moments with a smirk, and then he tossed down his cigarette and pulled the feather from his jacket. He twirled it in front of the boy's face, letting his point sink in.

"You're coming with me. Now."

The boy's eyebrows shot up. "But I have to-"

"_Now_, fucker."

The boy cringed, and he called out something in Italian to the guy running the booth. The man waved him off with a snort, and John grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away.

"Where are we-"

"Shut up."

John yanked him into an alley and then shoved him up against the brick wall, taking no care to be gentle even though the boy was obviously afraid.

"What's your name, kid?"

"A-Adrian…Adrian Stroude."

"Well, Adrian, you've gotten yourself in a shitload of trouble."

Adrian swallowed hard. "What are you talkin' about?"

John once again stuck the feather right up in Adrian's face. "I found this…right where I last saw my…my apprentice. And now he's gone. Care to explain?"

"But I don't even know you…"

John didn't give him a chance to continue the objection before slamming him against the wall again, even harder than before. "Wrong answer."

"I swear, I didn't have anything to do with it!"

"Listen, kid. My name is John Constantine. I'm sure you've heard of me…and I'm sure you've heard stories about what I'll do to you if you don't cooperate."

Adrian's eyes widened. "You're John Constantine? _The_ John Constantine?"

John smirked. "Changing your story now?"

"Well, no, but-"

John practically growled, and then threw Adrian down to the ground on his back and planted his foot firmly on the boy's chest. "Kid, I don't have much patience for games right now, not with Chas missing…"

Adrian didn't bother struggling, which was probably a smart move with John's current state of mind. "Look, I don't know how one of my feathers got there, but I swear I'll do everything I can to help. I wouldn't lie to you!"

John scowled at him, not letting up the pressure on Adrian's chest. "So this is just a complete coincidence? Hard to believe."

"Have a little _faith_, John…"

John stared at him, shook his head, and then moved a little away from the boy. Adrian rubbed his chest as he pushed himself up to a sitting position, and John simply lit up a cigarette.

"If I find out that you lied to me…if I find out you had _anything_ to do with this…Lucifer himself will cringe at what I do to your sorry ass," he muttered to Adrian, not moving to help the boy up. "Now, how do you plan on helping?"

"Well…let's go talk to a couple friends of mine. If anyone knows anything about this Chas kid and why he got kidnapped, they will."

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AN: Woohoo, updateness! Review, please, for reviews are like cookies. I must have them to LIVE. 


	9. It Does Matter

AN: Sorry about the lack of updatage. Homework blows. Here's chapter 9!

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Adrian led John deep into downtown, straight to a pool parlor. John knew the place was frequented by those not-quite-human, and he usually got some strange looks and a hassle walking in, but since he was accompanied by a half breed no one seemed to mind.

Adrian opened the door to a back room, where two older half breeds, one angel and one demon, were playing pool. They both looked up at John, and surprisingly enough, it was the angel who scowled.

"John Constantine," he said, as if it were some type of curse word.

"John…that's Apollo and this is Asier," Adrian said a bit nervously, gesturing first to the demon and then to the angel. "They're two of my best informants."

"Why does a half breed like yourself need informants?"

Adrian didn't answer, but Asier did.

"What the hell does a demon hunter want in a place like this?" He asked harshly.

"My apprentice disappeared recently…"

"The great John Constantine has an _apprentice_? Oh, that's rich…simply _rich_," the demon said, his eyes glowing red as he eyed John and licked his lips. Asier remained silent, staring at John carefully.

"A half breed's feather was found at the site. Adrian's," John went on to explain, ignoring the outburst. "I found him, he tells me you'll have information. So talk."

The demon looked at the angel and shrugged. "I didn't even know you _had_ an apprentice. Don't look at me."

The angel snorted. "Yeah, it's not as if we keep tabs on the kids following you around."

John shot past the demon, grabbing the angel by the neck and slamming him up against the wall. "How'd you know he was just a kid, huh? You know somethin' you're not tellin' me?"

Adrian stepped toward them nervously. "John, you probably shouldn't-"

"Shut up!" John snapped at Adrian, his eyes not leaving the angel's. "What do you know, huh?"

"I don't know any-"

John tightened his grip enough to cut off Asier's air supply for a few moments. "That's not the right answer."

Asier seemed at a loss for a few moments, in indecision between keeping his secrets and incurring more anger from Constantine.

"The graveyard," he finally choked out, and John loosened his grip a little.

"The graveyard?"

"The graveyard by the old warehouses…it's just what I overheard. Something about a shapeshifter, and the graveyard, and somethin' about your apprentice. That's all I know, I'm not involved!"

John dropped him, taking in this new information. If a shapeshifter demon or angel were involved, Adrian could've easily been a victim of spiritual 'identity theft'. Or he could be the shapeshifter himself…but John would be able to tell if he was. Shapeshifting energy was impossible to hide.

"If I find out that any of you were involved…" He started, glaring at all three of them. He had to get to the graveyard, he didn't have time for them. He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

He went outside and hailed a taxi, wondering why the hell he was doing so much for this kid. He barely knew Chas, and the kid certainly wasn't his apprentice. He was just playing along with that part because it was easier than explaining the truth. It wasn't like he'd ever take Chas in or try to teach him anything.

He was, after all, just a kid.

The taxi dropped him off at the cemetery, and he walked through the large metal gates and began wondering around aimlessly. He lit up a cigarette and looked around; nothing seemed out of place or different than usual. Not that he spent a lot of time in cemeteries.

"I see you got the message."

He spun around, and there was a demon half breed, his eyes glowing red and his long tail flicking around with excitement. John practically snarled, his eyes narrowing.

"Where is he?"

"You'll find out, in due time," the demon said, taking a few steps toward John, his tail swinging to wrap around John's waist. "Until then…how 'bout you quit that annoying habit of doing petty exorcisms?"

"Or how about I deport you, right here and now?" John asked harshly.

"I wouldn't do that. After all…we have that adorable little apprentice of yours. And we're always watching," the demon said, his eyes glancing up to the trees. "It's your choice. But one exorcism, one deportation…honestly, John, you wouldn't want anything bad to happen to the boy, would you?"

"You _bastard_."

The demon laughed, a sound that sent a chill down John's spine. "John Constantine, reduced to name calling. Chas must really do a number on the emotions…"

The demon chuckled again, shook his head, and then began to walk away.

_Go and get him, John. Deport his sorry ass._

_They have Chas. You heard him, one wrong move and Chas is dead._

_You don't care about the kid, he's just an orphan! One life, it doesn't matter!_

One thought invaded John's head at that moment- the memory of Chas's wide, dark, hazel eyes, looking up at him with a curiosity and admiration that was practically mind-numbing.

_But…it does._

By the time this inner dialogue had finished, the demon was long gone. John clenched his fists and closed his eyes for a few moments, and then headed for the road at a jog. There was a way out of this, he knew it.

And god dammit, he'd sure as hell find it.

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AN: Hehehe, weee, another cliffy. You know you love 'em. Now review, my pets. 


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